对于大卫科波菲尔中人物的形象分析.docx

对于大卫科波菲尔中人物的形象分析.docx

《对于大卫科波菲尔中人物的形象分析.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《对于大卫科波菲尔中人物的形象分析.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

对于大卫科波菲尔中人物的形象分析

AnAnalysisofImageinDavidCopperfield

Chapter1

Introduction

"DavidCopperfield",themasterpieceofDickens,wasasemi-autobiographicalwork.InMay1849toNovember1850,theinstallmentwaspublished.Inthepreface,Dickenssaid:

“Itismyfavoritechild.”

ThenoveldepictedDavid'sexperienceswhichwerefilledwithsufferingsandlaughters.DickensportrayedthecolorfulpictureofBritishsociety,thetypicalimageofdifferentsocialclasses,especiallytheendlessstruggleofDavidinthefaceofadversitywhichleftadeepimpressiononus.Davidwasunabletoenduretheabuseofhisstepfather,bitingthefingersofhisstepfather,savagelybeaten.Asaresult,hewaslockedinaboardingschool.Afterhismotherdied,hewassenttothefactoryasachildbyhisstepfather.Fromthenon,helivedahardlife,withoutenoughtoeatorwearandsufferedallkindsofabuseandtorture.However,Daviddidnotsuccumbtothemercyoffate,painstakingly,andfinallyfoundhisauntBetsey.Thekind-heartedauntshelteradoptedhimandlethimgotoabetterschool.WhenheknewthatAuntBetseywasbankrupted,butinstead,hestudieddiligentlywithperseveranceallkindsofabuseandtorture.Finally,aftermakingefforts,hebecameawriterandachievedsuccess.Atthesametime,othercharacterswereclearandvivid.PeggottywasanursewhotookcareofDavidandDavid’smothercarefully,shewasremarkablyloyal.Outwardly,auntBetseyappearedaseverewoman,butsheshowedthatshewaskindbylovingDavidandothers.Inaddition,Hamwasnoble,braveandhonest.Mr.Murdstoneswasfierceandcruel.Steerforthwasselfishandarrogant.

1.1IntroductiontotheAuthor

Dickenswasthemainrepresentativeofrealismliteratureinthe19thcentury.Theartofwittywords,nuancedpsychologicalanalysisandrealismwerecombinedtogethercloselyinhisworks.Hewasparticularlyfamousforhisvividcomiccharacterizationsandsocialcriticism.Hewasthefirstauthorwhohadwrittenofthepoorwithfidelityandsympathy.HisworkswerefamousduringnovelsoftheVictorianageandamongthegreatclassicsinallfiction.

DickenswasborninFebruary,1812,atLandport,Portsmouth.Hewasthesecondofeightchildren.Hisfatherwasaclerk,hardworkingbutimprudent,latercaricaturedasMr.MicawberinDavidCopperfield.In1822,thefamilymovedtoLondon,whereCharleshadtoleaveschooltosupporthisimpoverishedfamily.In1824,hisfatherwasputintoprisonfordebt.Attheageof12,Dickenswassenttogoingtoworkatafactory.Hewrappedandlabeledfor6shillingsaweek.Afterwork,hewanderedthroughthestreetsofLondon,enthralledbythesightofthedockyards,thefilesofconvicts,andvastsectionsofthecityinhabitedbythepoor.Thesebitterdaysremainedinhismemoryandlaterfoundexpressioninhisworks.

Dickenswasabletoreturntoschoolbecauseasmalllegacyhelpedreleasehisfatherfromprison.HewasanavidreaderandspentmuchtimeinthereadingroomoftheBritishMuseum.Althoughhelaterreturnedtoschoolforatime,theseexperiencesleftapermanentimprintonthesoulofCharlesDickens.Evenmanyyearslater,hehadbecomeasuccessfulauthor,hecouldnotbeartotalkaboutit,orberemindedofhisfamily’signominy.

Attheageoffifteen,Dickensbeganworkingasanofficeboyforalawfirm.HetaughthimselfandhebecameareporterforcourtsofDoctors’Commonin1828.Thedullroutineofthelegalprofessionneverinterestedhim,sohebecameanewspaperreporterfortheMirrorofparliament,theTrueSun,andfinallyfortheMorningChronicle.（JohnForster,werelaterhisclosestfriendandbiographer,wasalsoemployedattheTrueSun.）Bytheageoftwenty,DickenswasoneofthebestparliamentaryreportersalltheEngland.

Bythistime,Dickenswasenjoyingtheluxuriouslifehehaddreamedofasachild.In1850,hepublishedthelastinstallmentsofDavidCopperfield,apartlyautobiographicalnovelthatwashisfavorite.

1.2TheIntroductiontotheBackground

1.2.1Socialbackground

“LikesomanyparentsIhaveafavoritechildinmyheart,”wroteCharlesDickens."AndhisnameisDavidCopperfield."Here,DickensmadegooduseofhisownlifeexperiencetoexposethesocialevilsthatwereprevalentinVictorianEnglandandwerethemiseriesofchild-labor,thetyrannyinschools,thedebtors’prison,aswellasthecrueltyandimmortalityandthetreachery.Thusthenovelwasnotmerelyapersonalrecord,butabroadpictureofthesocietyoftheauthor’sday.

DavidCopperfieldwasanovelwritteninfirst-personpointofview.Itwassometimesreferredtoasanapprenticeshipnovelbecauseitcenteredontheperiodinwhichayoungpersongrewup.ThetypeofnovelswaspioneeredbyJohannWolfgangvonGoethe（1749-1832）inhisnovelWilhelmMeistersLehrjahre（WilhelmMeister'sApprenticeship）.Dickensbasedthebookinpartonthedifficultearlyyearsofhisownlife.Thenarrationchangednames,locales,andotherdetailsofDickens’slife.Forexample,whenDickenswasonlyachild,hehadtoleaveschooltoworkinafactory.Inthenovel,DavidCopperfieldhadtoleaveschooltoworkinawarehousewashingandlabelingbottlesusedinthewinetrade.David’sinitials（D.C.）were,ofcourse,thereverseofDickens’s（C.D.）. 

Dickenswasamasteratdrawingmemorablecharacters.Someweresimpleanduncomplicated,likeBarkis,Creakle,Murdstone,andClaraPeggotty.Otherswerecomplex,likeDavidCopperfield.Throughoutthenovel,hebefriendedthewealthyandcharmingJamesSteerforth,ignoringhisdeviousandmalevolentside.Atthesametime,hebefriendedthegood-heartedTommyTraddlesandthehumblePeggottys.Thesetwoworlds,theworldofSteerforthandtheworldofSteerforthandhisfamily,bothattractedDavid,andhisimmaturitydecidedwhatshouldconstitutehisownworld.Tobringhischaracterstolife,Dickensinvestedthemwithclearlydefiningvirtuesorvicesanddescribedthecharactersinawaythatenabledthereaderstopicturethematthescenesinwhichtheyappeared.

1.2.2Novel’sbackground

OfalltheDickens’novels,DavidCopperfieldreflectedtheeventsofDickensownlifethemost.AsforDavid,sufferinginthepastwasadequatelymadeupforarich,happymarriageandasuccessfulliterarycareer,justlikeDickenshimself,andtheworldwasstillfullofhopeandsunshine.Theplotconstructionwasratherloose,butitalsoexcelledinitsvividimage.Thenarrationofnovelindetailwasalsoworthmentioning,whichgavetheworktruthfulnesstothereallife.

WhatwecouldaddtowasthewayinwhichDickenstimeandtimeagaindealtwiththeprogressofamaleherowho,aswithDavidinDavidCopperfield（1849-50）andPipinGreatExpectations（1860-1）,cametotermswithworldasthemiddle-classvalues.Atthesametime,however,Dickens’heroesoftenhaveuncomfortabledoubles:

DavidCopperfieldwasshadowedbyHeepandSteerforth,bothofwhomrevealedthekindofdarksexualurgethatDavidattemptedtoconcealordenyinhisownlife.Itwasasif,inanewmiddle-classcode,Dickenswasequallyawareoftheprecariousnessorvulnerabilityofthenewrespectablesocialconceptionoftheself,oftheburiedlifethatwashiddenbeneaththeveneerofpolitemanners.

Duetotheearlysuccess,thepublicnotonlygaveDickensanassurancethatmadesureincreasingpowersofpoeticexpressionandnarrativetechnique,butalsotheconfidencetodemonstratehisprioritiestoapointwheretheycontradictedthesocialassumptionsofmanyofhisreaders.Allhislaternovels,exceptATaleofTwoCities,presentedacriticismofthemostfundamentalinstitutionsoftheVictorianEngland.

AlthoughDavidwasignorantofSteerforth’streachery,wewereawarefromthemomentwemetSteerforththathedidn’tdeserveofpraisewhichDavidfelttowardhim.Daviddidn’tknowwhyhehatedHeeporwhyhetrustedaboywithadonkeycartwhostolehismoneyandlefthimintheroad,butitwaspossibleforhimtorealizeHeep’sinherentevilandtheboy’srealintention.InDavid’sfirst-personnarration,Dickensconveyedthewisdomoftheoldermanimplicitly,throughtheeyesofachild.

Chapter2

LiteratureReviewoftheNovel

2.1SomeScholars’ViewsontheNovel

ScholarsbelievedthatDavidCopperfield'scareers,friendships,loveandlife,weremosthighlyinfluencedbyDickens'experiences,aswellashistimeworkingasachild.David'sinvolvementwiththelawprofessionandlaterhiscareerasawritermirrortheexperiencesofDickens.ManyofDavid'sfriendswerebasedonpeoplewhoDickensactuallyknew,andDavid'swives,AgnesWickfieldandDora,werebelievedtobebaseduponDickens'attachmenttoMaryHogarth.Dickenskeenlyfelthislackofeducationduringhistimeatthatfactory,andaccordingtotheForsterbiography,itwasfromthesetimesthathedrewDavid'sworkingperiod.

BritishwriterSomersetMaughamregardedthebookas"trulyamasterpieceofliteraryworks".

OneofAmericanliteratureconnoisseursrecommendedthenovelasonehundredsofthe20thcentury,distinguishingEnglishnovel.

ThefamousRussianwriter,LeoTolstoy,saidthatthebookwasthebestoneamongalltheEnglishnovelsanditcouldhelppeopletobuildaperfectpersonality.

 “DavidCopperfieldwasfilledwithcharactersofthemostastonishingvariety,vividness,andoriginality,”notedSomersetMaugham.“Theyarenotrealisticandyettheyaboundwithlife.ThereneverweresuchpeopleastheMicawbers,PeggottyandBarkis,Traddles,BetseyTrotwoodandMr.Dick,UriahHeepandhismother.”Thestorywastoldalmostentirelyfromthepointviewofthefirstpersonnarrator,DavidCopperfieldhimself,andwasthefirstDickensno